“How many fucking frogs do I have to kiss?” I snap and fall on the couch.
Val raises her glass of wine out of the way, and I steal it. I close my eyes as the large gulp I’ve taken runs down my throat.
“That’s mine!”
I glare at her before taking another sip and handing it back. “Thanks.”
Leaning my head against the back of the couch, I sigh. I despise dating. I’m over it. Why can’t I find my Mr. Right, so we can start our lives together?
Val wraps her arm around my shoulder and pulls me to her. I lay my head on her and stare at the TV, not really paying attention to whatever she’s watching.
“What happened, honey?”
“Everything. Nothing,” I whisper, exhausted from another emotional roller coaster. “I’m just over it all. All these fuckers,” I say, raising my locked phone. “All they want is a quick hookup. Which, sure I could see the appeal if they didn’t show up in popped collars or hopped up on ’roids.”
I decided to start dating again two months ago. At first, I sat back and observed the wink emojis and messages that came through the app. Tonight, I relented to coffee with Tristan. We’d chatted daily for about a week, so I figured why not? I mean, he was cute and seemed nice.
“What was wrong with this one?” Val asks as she mutes the TV. “Did he not look like his picture?”
I sigh. “No, he matched the picture, dimples and all. He’s cute—not hard to look at him.”
“So what happened?”
“I arrived a few minutes early and found a table in the corner. I’ve been reading the book you suggested, so I wanted to finish it. I figured it would help me relax. Tristan got there about five minutes late. Not a biggie since I was reading. He spotted me and asked what I was drinking before buying me another one.” I lift my head and smile at Val. “It was really sweet.” Placing my head back on her shoulder, I continue. “We sat and chatted for about an hour. He told me a little about growing up in California, and I told him about growing up here in Vegas. You know, all the simple get-to-know-you things we hadn’t already talked about yet. He heard my stomach growl. It was so embarrassing, Val. Anyway, he suggested we go to the diner around the corner. I was having a nice time with him, so why not?”
“Everything sounds like it was going great for a first date,” Val said.
I nod. “It was. Tristan asked for a booth and slid in next to me. You know, like those old-timey movies? Having him so close made me nervous in a good kind of way. I liked what I was seeing from him, so feeling his body next to mine was great.”
“Until?” Val asks, sensing I’m beating around the bush.
“Until after our meal when his hand landed on my thigh.”
“Oh?”
“Yup, it surprised me; you know, moving a little fast. But my creeper alarm wasn’t going off. When I didn’t say anything, he turned and kissed me. It was an overall good first kiss. Sweet, not pushy, no slobber. You name it.” I sigh. “He ends the kiss and wraps his arm around me, which was okay. We talked a little more and then he kisses me again.” I can’t say the words. Anger bubbles up, and I jump to my feet. “Ugh!”
“Izzy, what the hell happened?” Val asks, leaning forward, her forehead creasing with worry.
I meet her eyes. Val is my best friend, and I love her like she’s a blood relative. She has always been there when I needed her, and right now is one of those times.
“But then, well—then his other hand inched up toward my crotch and he said, ‘Let’s go to the bathroom and fuck.’”
Val sends me a blank stare and blinks. “Let’s go to the bathroom and fuck?”
I nod.
“And you told him what?”
“Well, at first I was in shock. Nothing at all in the three hours with him led me to believe he was an asshole who was just trying to get in my pants.”
Val clucks her tongue. “Oh, young grasshopper… Every guy wants into a woman’s pants. The good ones and the bad ones.”

Author Bio

AJ Renee is the author behind the St. Fleur series, Beauty Unmasked, Winter’s Surprise, Surviving Paris, Finding Love at the Falls…, and Kylie: Crossing Lines. She’s a military wife and mother to three young girls. She graduated from the University of Central Florida with her Master of Science in Criminal Justice and a Bachelor of Science in Psychology while working at the library.

She loves to write steamy romance with suspense and a happily ever after. When she isn’t writing or interacting with her readers, you can find her spending time with her family or reading. AJ enjoys traveling, researching family history, and all things New Orleans.